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Connecting the Dots
At this point in my journey, I had a number of interviews left. I was still collecting information I needed to become a know-it-all for LoCAL. My next step was talking to my own supervisor, Julie Johnson, and one of her associates, Karen Kus. They lead a program called Career Services, which is perhaps the most important program available to students on campus. It's so important because what it offers to students is some of the most versatile and useful information for any college student.
The main idea of getting an education at a collegiate level is to be employed at some point, making money doing something that you hopefully enjoy. Most people understand this concept, but what some students don't quite get is that there is so much more to do besides getting an education. They have to prepare for the world outside of their campus and understand what it takes to get the job they want. That's where the importance of Career Services comes in. Karen and Julie know everything under the sun within the realm of a professional career, and they can help students get to where they want to be.
Karen and Julie are both very pleasant and funny people. They have a sense of humor that naturally brings itself out into the conversation and it makes every interaction with them enjoyable. I'm familiar with both of them because I took a class that they observed the first semester of my freshman year. The class was taught by a man named Toby White, who's the person that ended up hiring me through my work study. Karen and Julie always sat in the back corner, observing from afar, and since that was close to where I sat I got to know them a bit better and they got to know me. The three of us always got along. We seemed to get a kick out of each other whenever we had the time to talk inside or outside of class, so I was very excited to interview them both out of anticipation for learning more about LoCAL and for nostalgia's sake.
They told me Career Services is all about investing in your future. There are so many resources available to students that could benefit them, like Karen and Julie themselves. The two of them are qualified professionals, and are available for one on one coaching. No matter what your situation is, if you've never heard of a resume, or are looking at what you should do after grad school, they can help you figure out what to do next. They know everything there is to know, and if something pops up that they're not quite sure about they know what resources they can use to solve that problem.
Even if you have absolutely no idea what you're doing, studying, or hoping to become, you can be helped. There are questionnaires and surveys you can fill out to discover more about your strengths and weakness, and how those apply to possible career choices. You can use those resources to figure out a career you think you'd enjoy, and then you can figure out what it takes to get there, like education requirements, prior experience, and what major you should declare. That's what I'm doing right now, actually. I came into college clueless as to where I would go, and I felt like there were a million doors open to me and it overwhelmed me thinking about all the possible scenarios I was worrying about. Now, I'm collected and have a better understanding of what's in front of me, and what I can do to get there after college.
Career Services does a lot with students that have very little idea of what's supposed to happen before getting a job. They come in knowing what they want to do some day but haven't done anything in the realm of preparation besides taking classes. That's why a good portion of what Career Services does is related to resumes. Resumes are a very common part of job applications and are a fantastic way to sell yourself to employers. It gives you the opportunity to put yourself out there whenever you're looking for a job, and employers love to see that.
To some students this may seem very basic and not worth pursuing, but that's nowhere near all of what Career Services has to offer. They can help you with mock interviews if you're interviewing for major corporations or prestigious business; they have what's called the Senior Series meant strictly for seniors who won't have much time left to prepare themselves; they also can help you prepare for grad school so that you know what you're doing, what tests you'll have to take, and what expenses will look like. Whatever level of preparation you're at, you can be helped just by making an appointment and dedicating your own time.
The basis of Career Services is that it gives students the ability to better their odds at getting their dream job every day of their college career. This is when I connected all of these dots and realized that Career Services is such a vital and versatile part of LoCAL because everything else that's offered to students will come back to here. You won't have the best luck getting an internship without an impressive resume, getting into grad school before checking what's required and preparing for it, finding a career without coaching.
Karen and Julie are available whenever you are and will do their best to make you knowledgeable and ready for what's ahead of you. It's free and ready when you are, but the later you start the less time you'll have to prepare. Hopefully, I'll see many of you coming into the office in the years to come.
Here's to hoping, and thanks for reading.